6 Comments
U.S. Senator Jim Banks has called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to investigate reports that a U.S. foreign aid agency pressured Sierra Leone to pass controversial abortion legislation under the Biden administration.
The allegations, detailed in a letter sent by Banks to Rubio, center on claims that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) threatened to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in aid unless Sierra Leone’s parliament passed the so-called Safe Motherhood Act.
The Daily Signal first reported on December 16 that the MCC, a U.S. government agency tasked with reducing global poverty, allegedly pressured Sierra Leone to decriminalize abortion as part of a $480 million, five-year agreement known as the Sierra Leone Compact. The agreement, aimed at providing affordable electricity to the West African nation, is now under scrutiny for potentially linking aid to the passage of the abortion bill.
In his letter, Banks cited a former senior U.S. government official with experience in the region, who claimed that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Sierra Leone were aware of the MCC’s alleged threats. The Safe Motherhood Act, which has faced significant public opposition, would legalize abortion up to 14 weeks for any reason and up to birth if deemed necessary to protect the “mental health of the woman.” Abortion is already legal in Sierra Leone to save a woman’s life.
“Reports suggest that the MCC is threatening to withhold assistance under Sierra Leone’s Compact if the country’s legislature fails to pass the Safe Motherhood Act,” Banks wrote. “This radical and unpopular bill would legalize abortion up to 14 weeks for any reason, and until birth if deemed necessary to ‘protect the mental health of the woman.’ Holding assistance hostage for the sake of pressuring another nation to adopt pro-abortion legislation is shameful and wrong.”
The World Bank’s November 14 report on Sierra Leone’s stability and resilience, obtained by The Daily Signal, references the Safe Motherhood Act as a key indicator of the country’s progress. The report states that an objective is to have 30% of health centers implement the abortion legislation by the end of 2027. The United States is the largest financial contributor to the World Bank.
UNICEF, a humanitarian aid organization, has reportedly recommended the passage and implementation of the Safe Motherhood Act to address maternal mortality and improve health outcomes for adolescents. However, the MCC has denied any involvement in pushing the legislation. Jenel Few, the MCC’s press secretary, told The Daily Signal in December that the agency is “unaware of any Sierra Leonean abortion legislation and has never made any requests to the government of Sierra Leone regarding abortion policies.”
Banks has requested that Rubio investigate whether MCC officials were involved in drafting the Safe Motherhood Act, whether the agency used Freedom House—a left-leaning think tank—to assess Sierra Leone’s eligibility for aid, and whether the passage of the abortion bill would affect the country’s qualifications for MCC funding. He also asked whether funds under the Sierra Leone Compact have been withheld or delayed.
Freedom House, which the MCC uses to evaluate civil liberties in partner countries, has previously criticized pro-life legislation. In 2023, the organization lowered its “Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights” score for the United States following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
An MCC spokesperson reiterated the agency’s denial of the allegations, stating that the MCC “is complying with President Trump’s executive orders and Office of Management and Budget guidance.” The spokesperson added, “MCC has never made any requests to the Government of Sierra Leone regarding abortion policies. Any such legislation would be an internal matter for Sierra Leone with no U.S. government development funds made contingent on its passage.”
Banks has asked Rubio to complete the investigation by March 1 and to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to respecting foreign nations’ protections for the unborn. “It is unconscionable that the United States has used the MCC to threaten the Sierra Leonean’s protection for the unborn,” Banks said.
Africa is too sorry, most of our suffering is not our fault or weakness they forge situation for us, because they knew our parliament and leaders are too ambitious. May God save this continent.oh God save Sierra Leone
Aameen and Amen
For sure such news was passing around in a past months or year back regarding ABORTION in SL AAA God save we beloved country ya
Sierra Loaded you guys are great 👍
Why are they trying to impose on us if there is NO hidden agenda behinds doors
Hmm! Poverty is something else. America is doing all possible means to make sure they ruined our beloved Sierra Leone the same way they ruined their country. Losing morals and being ungodly all in the name of protecting the womanhood. The same womanhood whom they gave so much power that they can’t respect their men again because of 50/50. And they gave women more power than men that they regretted and are trying their best to implement the same stupidity to Africa. Men are being treated like kings by their women in Africa and the white are using money to threaten us Africans to legislate the same laws to Africa so we would be equal by norms and traditions. Africa we need to be very wise and the ambition of getting rich need to be minimized if not they would succeed all their plans. The safe abortion bill is against God and that bill need to be Abbolish. We are God fearing and religious and we have to abide to our conscious minds and religions. Abortion is an abomination to our two religions in Sierra Leone Islam and Christianity and so we would never accept such in this great nation.
Makes sense; that’s why the President was pushing Parliament to hurriedly pass the bill. For the MCC kopor. Thanks, for once, for the intervention of the Inter-Religious Council.